2024 NBA Draft Day One GDT

[Monster]

Wow totally unexpected move and it's for future picks no players?!?! I don't know whether they picked the right guy (don't have knowledge) but I love the move up.

Wolves still have this year's picks too. Really interesting stuff.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Man, Dillingham?! I did not study up on this draft because I wasn't expecting much, but I was watching some highlights in the last day or so (I know, I know, you really can't put too much on highlight reels). Dillingham looks really small (is 6'1" an exaggeration?), but also really aggressive in looking to score with some impressive finishes. He doesn't look to be anywhere near Ja's athleticism or Iverson's natural touch, but in terms of his style of play (again, at least from the highlights!) that seems to be the way he plays. Just looking to attack the basket (again, highlights!). Looks like he can stretch the floor better than those guys though, which will be key. He'll be a defensive liability for sure, but for a team that needs some shooting, he could really help with that. Honestly, watching most of the video highlights on the guys in this draft, it was tough to see a potential star anywhere in here, but if you squint, it kind of seemed about as close with Dillingham as with anyone.

[KG4Ever]

Again, I withhold judgement on Dillingham as I really didn't study him, but NBA Draftnet had him listed as 24 on their mock which isn't comforting. I know NBADraftnet isn't the best site (but I don't pay for Givony's site), but its probably one of the most popular free draft sites. Where did Givony rank him? TheRinger had Dillingham at 9.

[Lipoli390]

I love the obvious thinking behind this move for Dillingham. He fills all three of our top needs:

1. Three point shooting — He’s a great shooter, hitting 44.4% of his 4.5 three-point attempts per game and 47.5% of his FG attempts. That’s superb for any college player, but especially a college freshman.

2. Ball-handling/shot creation to take some of the burden off Conley and Ant. He handles the rock like a ball on a string with quick feet and crafty moves. He can shoot from the perimeter and get to the hole.

3. Future PG replacement for Conley. We finally have a young potential successor to Mike Conley. And he’ll have the chance to benefit from Conley’s mentorship. The right move at the right time. Depending on how quickly he develops, he could help us as a backup PG by the second half of the season.

[KG4Ever]

Wow totally unexpected move and it's for future picks no players?!?! I don't know whether they picked the right guy (don't have knowledge) but I love the move up.

Wolves still have this year's picks too. Really interesting stuff.

Ha, you and TC love the move now, but will we like it in 2030 and 2031. The Spurs aren't stupid and might think they are mining future gold.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Again, I withhold judgement on Dillingham as I really didn't study him, but NBA Draftnet had him listed as 24 on their mock which isn't comforting. I know NBADraftnet isn't the best site (but I don't pay for Givony's site), but its probably one of the most popular free draft sites. Where did Givony rank him? TheRinger had Dillingham at 9.

Givony had him 8th on his board.


8. Rob Dillingham | PG | Kentucky

6-1 | Age: 19.4 | Previously ranked: 7

Strengths: Dillingham is the most dynamic scoring guard in this draft. His combination of shiftiness, ballhandling, passing and shot-making prowess showed vividly off the bench at Kentucky. He averaged 15.2 points in 23.3 minutes per game.

Weaknesses: He lacks the ideal size and physicality to absorb contact in the lane and hold his own defensively, as he has only a 6-3 wingspan with a frame under 170 pounds.

The verdict: Long known for his ability to heat up in a hurry at the prep level, Dillingham backed that up with efficient perimeter shot-making and steady decision-making as a passer and scorer in his lone season in the SEC. Even if he faces an uphill battle defensively, his offensive gifts give him some of the biggest star power of any prospect in this class.

[Lipoli390]

Man, Dillingham?! I did not study up on this draft because I wasn't expecting much, but I was watching some highlights in the last day or so (I know, I know, you really can't put too much on highlight reels). Dillingham looks really small (is 6'1" an exaggeration?), but also really aggressive in looking to score with some impressive finishes. He doesn't look to be anywhere near Ja's athleticism or Iverson's natural touch, but in terms of his style of play (again, at least from the highlights!) that seems to be the way he plays. Just looking to attack the basket (again, highlights!). Looks like he can stretch the floor better than those guys though, which will be key. He'll be a defensive liability for sure, but for a team that needs some shooting, he could really help with that. Honestly, watching most of the video highlights on the guys in this draft, it was tough to see a potential star anywhere in here, but if you squint, it kind of seemed about as close with Dillingham as with anyone.

He measured at 6’1, 165 without shoes at the combine. So that number is real. I’ll point out that Mike Conley measured at 5’11, 175 in the combine when he came out. So I’m not worried about Dillingham’s size. Unfortunately, he was hurt and therefore didn’t participate in the athletic testing. But he looks very quick with excellent hops.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Here's Vecenie and Hollinger from the Athletic.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves (via trade with Spurs)

Robert Dillingham | 6-1 guard | 19 years old | Kentucky

Vecenie’s ranking: 15

How one evaluates Robert Dillingham depends on how much one values scoring touch and the ability to separate from defenders. I know evaluators who work for NBA teams who value his scoring upside so much that they have Dillingham as a top-five prospect. That potential, mixed with his passing improvements, have Dillingham believers thinking he could be the best overall offensive player in this class. They have a point — his offensive tools are special. However, the difference between Dillingham and someone like Tyrese Maxey — another speed/touch-based Kentucky guard — is 35 pounds. Maxey is so much more physical than Dillingham; even at Kentucky, the 76ers’ All-Star guard weighed nearly 200 pounds and took bumps well. That ability to play through contact — which Maxey had and Dillingham does not — is critical to NBA success. Trae Young and Ja Morant are the only sub-175-pound, non-lengthy prospects who have become starter-level playmakers in the NBA in the last decade. I don’t think that Dillingham has the one-of-one athleticism of Morant or the passing ability of Young. Dejounte Murray was 170 pounds when he entered the NBA but is 6-5. Dennis Schröder was 6-1 and about 170 pounds, but he had a 6-8 wingspan. Mike Conley was 5-11 without shoes but has a 6-6 wingspan. To succeed, then, Dillingham will have to be an outlier. He has the skills to do it, which is why I still have a top-15 grade on him. I trust he will get buckets. But given his defensive issues, it was hard for me to put him higher than the back-third of the lottery. His size and defensive deficiencies might resign him to being more of a great sixth man. If that’s the role he ends up filling, I’d bet on him winning a Sixth Man of the Year award at some point.

Hollinger’s analysis: I had Dillingham eighth on my board, so this isn’t exactly a surprise, but if he’s headed to Minnesota as rumored, that is quite a development. Dillingham is an offensive creator who, if he hits, solves one of Minnesota’s biggest existential problems: The succession at point guard beyond 36-year-old Mike Conley. But the Wolves are also a win-now team; how much can he immediately help?

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Man, Dillingham?! I did not study up on this draft because I wasn't expecting much, but I was watching some highlights in the last day or so (I know, I know, you really can't put too much on highlight reels). Dillingham looks really small (is 6'1" an exaggeration?), but also really aggressive in looking to score with some impressive finishes. He doesn't look to be anywhere near Ja's athleticism or Iverson's natural touch, but in terms of his style of play (again, at least from the highlights!) that seems to be the way he plays. Just looking to attack the basket (again, highlights!). Looks like he can stretch the floor better than those guys though, which will be key. He'll be a defensive liability for sure, but for a team that needs some shooting, he could really help with that. Honestly, watching most of the video highlights on the guys in this draft, it was tough to see a potential star anywhere in here, but if you squint, it kind of seemed about as close with Dillingham as with anyone.

He measured at 6’1, 165 without shoes at the combine. So that number is real. I’ll point out that Mike Conley measured at 5’11, 175 in the combine when he came out. So I’m not worried about Dillingham’s size. Unfortunately, he was hurt and therefore didn’t participate in the athletic testing. But he looks very quick with excellent hops.

Yeah, from the highlights, he looks quick as hell. This should be interesting at the very least.

[Coolbreeze44]

Summer league will be fun again